The present invention is directed to a hot stamp material, which is useful for hot stamping foods. The hot stamp material can also be used for hot stamping beverages and other liquid material by means of a water-soluble edible film stamped with the hot stamp material.
Previously described hot stamp materials which utilize one of gold and silver material include a base film, a release layer, a film of gold or silver, which is vapor-deposited on the base film and an adhesive layer, which are sequentially laminated.
Conventional hot stamping methods encompass stamping a substrate with the hot stamp material, such that the gold or silver film is generally released from the base film. The release of the gold or silver film, in turn, causes the adhesive layer, which is generally coated on the gold or silver film, to undergo a conformational change. The resulting conformational change, in turn, enables the adhesive layer to effectively attach the gold or silver film to the underlying substrate. The gold or silver film is thus hot-stamped.
However, conventional hot stamps can not be used to hot stamp foods and beverages, due, in part, to the toxicity of the adhesive layer. Accordingly, the inherent toxicity of the adhesive layer, makes conventional hot stamping material uneatable and toxic to mammals including humans. As such, prior art hot stamp materials are not useful for hot stamping edible items for consumption by mammals including humans, such as, food and beverages. The toxicity of previously described adhesive layers included in conventional hot stamp materials derives from the various thermoplastic synthetic resins and organic solvents, which are essential components of conventional hot stamping materials.
Accordingly, conventional hot stamping materials can not be used to hot stamp intricate gold or silver prints or designs onto edible items.
In recent years, characters, patterns or designs composed of gold etc. have found widespread use in decorating various substrates. The increased demand for decorative hot stamps useful for decorating edible substrates has created a need for a hot stamp material useful for decorating edible food items including beverages.
Previous attempts at stamping intricate designs and patterns composed of gold and silver onto edible items have so far been unsuccessful. One such method for hot stamping intricate characters, patterns and designs onto edible items, e.g., beverages, proposes cutting the design of interest by means of a sharp blade or object from a sheet of beaten or rolled gold foil. This step is then followed by floating the design in a beverage.
Unfortunately, this method is both costly and labor intensive. Due to the extensive manual labor involved in practicing this method, the overall cost of hot stamping edible items is greatly increased with an attendant decrease in the overall production of the desired method.
The prior art method is also not suitable to quickly form complex or small and fine characters, patterns or designs. Additionally, the prior art method is also unsuitable for mass production. The present invention aims to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks.